CINCINNATI — On first glance, a passerby might not realize the significance of the ramp in Samantha Telgkamp’s front yard.
“I only have like four or five steps, but those steps can be really scary,” she said.
Telgkamp is 25 years old. A year ago, she didn’t realize she might eventually need a ramp.
“I was kind of feeling some stuff going on with my left hand when I was at work,” she said. “Like feeling really slow when I was typing, having difficulty putting my badge on.”
A few months later, she was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spine.
“Changing and getting ready for my day takes almost an hour compared to the five minutes that I would get ready in the morning,” she said. “Things like, you know, doing dishes or cooking for myself has become almost a no.”
Outdoor ramps like Telgkamp’s can cost thousands of dollars. Her dad was preparing to build one himself.
A few weeks ago, they got a message that changed everything.
“Operation Ramp It Up reached out and I mean, within three weeks, we have a ramp,” said Telgkamp’s dad, Dan. “That's the Christmas spirit.”
Telgkamp’s ramp is the 191st the nonprofit has installed in the last eight years.
“Our volunteers can come here and change their life,” said Greg Schneider, Operation Ramp It Up CEO. “We want to give her back her freedom. We want her to be able to get in and out of her home.”
“I've seen other people go through it before personally in my life and they did it while laughing and having fun,” Samantha said. “That's kind of how I'm choosing to go about my life.”
The Telgkamp family hopes their story can raise awareness and inspire others about available support.
“I think people assume that it's very rare and it's actually not as rare as people think,” she said. “It's just not talked about enough or diagnosed enough. I think just bringing more awareness to it, bringing more help like this, it causes a domino effect of all kinds of great things for a lot of people.”
“There's tons of foundations out there that aren't getting out,” Dan said. “Operation Ramp It Up is one of those.”
You can support Operation Ramp It Up by donating or volunteering.
You can also donate to the Telgkamp family as they cover costs associated with Samantha’s disease. Donations can be sent through Venmo to user @Dan-Telgkamp (Code: 1747). They can also be sent by mail to “The Samantha Telgkamp Family Trust” at P.O. Box 7439 Wooster Pike #117 Cincinnati, OH 45227.
You can apply for a ramp here.
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